Powers Gold Review

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“All that Glitters Is Not Gold”

Whisky Review # 824

Country: Ireland
Brand: Powers Gold
Bottled in Bond by: John Power & Son, Smithfield, Dublin
Distilled: Midleton Distillery, Cork
Type: Blended Irish Whiskey
Age: NAS (5-6 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: 2nd and 3rd Refill Bourbon Casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price: Around US$ 30-35 (August 2019)
Buying Advice: 😐Indifferent Blend. Good for Mixing. P/Q ratio: 👍

Colour:

Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Young and a little Edgy. The Grain Alcohol is quite present. Mostly Sweet with a few slightly Sour Citrus notes. A distinct note of Charred Oak as well.

Main Aromas:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Cake, Vanilla, Straw, Toasted Oak, Green Apple, Mandarin, Orange, Cinnamon, Menthol and Pepper.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Barley, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Caramel, Honey, Pear, Lemon and a light hint of Varnish. There's also a bit of Dark Red Fruit but I can't quite pin it down.

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Palate:

Young, Buttery and Spicy. A bit Rough. The Grain Alcohol, Youth and indifferent casks tell their story.

Main Flavours:

Sugared Grains, Buttered Toast, Cake, Caramel, Toffee, Dough, Charred Oak, Mandarin, Green Apple, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves and Licorice.  

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Barley, Honey, Vanilla, Lemon, Seville Oranges, Nuts and Nutshells, Pear and Dairy.

Finish:

Short/Middle-Long. Sweet and Buttery with increasing Bitterness towards the end. I find Barley & other Cereals, Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Toasted Oak, Pear, Green Apple, Dough, Nuts and Nutshells, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

I added some Water and the sharpish Alcohol retreats of course. That makes it easier to drink but it also kills most of the Flavours and Aromas.

Rating: 76

Nose: 20 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 18 - Overall: 19

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Conclusion:

Powers Gold is the best-selling Whiskey in the Republic of Ireland. It's a mixture of Pot Still Whiskey that is made from malted and un-malted Barley and Grain Whiskey. It's triple-distilled of course and the producers discard more heads and tails of the 2nd and 3rd charges thus creating a higher quality Spirit. I'm tasting the old 40% Powers today. In 2013 it was relaunched with a new packaging and a new mash bill while bottled at 43.2%.

Powers Gold is not a bad blend and the P/Q ratio is okay. It doesn't make me happy and it doesn't make me sad. In fact it doesn't make me feel anything. The Spirit is actually okay but it suffers from indifferent refill casks. Maybe the new formula and higher ABV will improve this Blend. As it is, it's okay for mixing I suppose but not really interesting enough as a sipping Whiskey. It's stuff for parties and drinking. Powers to All Our Friends!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   August 6, 2019

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